Amidst the bloody carnage, someone bent over, clutching several wrists, and confirmed that the tags on the bracelets were indeed those of Xuan State's troops. After a whistle, they summoned the remaining fifty-odd people to their side and reminded them, "These are indeed Xuan State's forces, but not the truly powerful troops of Xuan State."

Their gazes swept over their bloodstained, scar-ridden comrades, and with faces full of regret, they looked up to the sky and sighed, "Our Sky Rain Meteor Conference has ended prematurely. Let's find a place to hide well until we can get out. Let's retreat!"

"We didn't provoke them, they were the ones who provoked us first," someone complained.

But everyone knew complaints were useless; in this world, strength was the deciding factor. They had killed so many people from Xuan State, and it was highly likely that Xuan State's elite forces wouldn't let them off once they found out, especially in their current weakened state.

Thus, the fifty-odd injured people, with hearts full of regret and bodies covered in wounds, retreated from the scene, leaving behind a field strewn with corpses, and swiftly disappeared into the distance…

"Master!"

"Master, we were wrong…"

Wailing filled the air as a group of defeated Xuan State forces knelt outside the cave where Shi Chun was staying, the same spot where they had been full of confidence just the day before.

Now they were crying and sobbing, tears and snot mingling together, filled with remorse and regret, blaming themselves for not heeding advice.

This battle truly made them realize the difference between elite warriors and a rabble. Those were the elites standing at the pinnacle of a state, not to be easily overpowered by numbers. Now, they understood that the Master was right; they had been insubordinate, forcing his hand, and maybe they had deeply hurt the Master's heart.

Out of the original two thousand nine hundred people, only around one thousand three hundred returned alive, most of them wounded.

More than half were lost, a toll higher than the combined total of previous battles.

Not one of the leaders from the previous night had survived.

The battle had not lasted long before the Di State troops charged at the leaders first, eliminating them to create chaos among the leaderless forces. The enemy hadn't anticipated that even without their leaders, they would continue to adapt their targets and attack formations.

It was too tragic; since arriving at the West Pole venue, Xuan State had suffered its most significant losses, and it was all due to insubordination.

At this point, apart from kneeling in repentance, they didn't know how to face the Master.

The Bilan Sect members guarding the cave entrance watched this miserable scene, each of them silently sighing to themselves.

While the outside was filled with cries and sobs, the Shi Chun seated quietly inside the cave seemed deaf to it all, leaning against the wall and flipping through a booklet.

He didn't want to pay attention, nor did he want to seek revenge. There wasn't the time or energy for that, and the whereabouts of the Di State forces were unknown. After Xiang Laner's people withdrew, there was no chance of returning.

With things having reached this point, facing the inevitable consequences, he didn't want to complicate matters further.

The defeat they suffered, along with the depletion of the Insect Extreme Crystal's quality resources, better fit the current situation.

What a joke, if they could still find Insect Extreme Crystals in large quantities, what would Mulan Qingqing's side think? Would they consider them fools?

Within their capabilities, they had exhausted all the quality resources they could find. They no longer had access to them, and the amount they were getting now was far less than Mulan Qingqing's side. That was the normal situation now.

Revealing a weakness now could cover up the previous excessive gains and dispel all doubts from rivals.

As for those outside pleading and crying, it wouldn't change his decision.

Whether he really sympathized with everyone's plight or was just pretending, now wasn't the time to show it.

Showing intense hatred or sympathy now was meaningless. The more convincing he was now, the more disgusting it would be when they eventually went out; overperforming could have the opposite effect and undermine all his previous efforts. It was best to stop at an appropriate point.

This disastrous defeat served as an explanation both internally and externally.

After letting them wail outside for a long while, he finally issued an order, "Everyone must be tired; after you've cried enough, let them go back to rest."

Wu Jinliang, who had taken off his shoes to pick at his feet, chuckled, stood barefoot, and headed over. As he approached the cave entrance, his expression turned solemn. Once outside, he announced loudly, "The Master says everyone is tired; go back and rest."

After speaking, he turned around and left, feeling that sometimes walking barefoot was more comfortable. He hadn't yet fully adapted to the lifestyle of the Land of Exile.

Regardless of whether they saw the Master or not, they had received their orders, and everyone began to stand up and disperse in a grief-stricken manner.

Master Mai, who had nearly lost his leg, struggled to his feet, limping away. He didn't cry; tears wouldn't come. Being coerced into this situation, he had no choice but to play along, nearly losing his life and losing two fellow sect members in the process. His gaze swept over the whimpering figures as he cursed inwardly.

Xuan State's elite forces had indeed done their best, rushing through five battles in a single day, making full use of the intelligence they had gathered during their covert period.

It wasn't until late that the group finally entered a state of rest, and the publicly announced gains were over ten thousand.

After the elite forces cheered with joy, they dispersed to rest.

A few leaders met privately once more.

Tang Zhen brought up another topic, "I heard that Wang Sheng's side suffered a terrible defeat, losing nearly sixteen hundred people in a single battle."

Li Shanshan: "It's not really about Wang Sheng. A rabble of self-aggrandizing fools, Wang Sheng couldn't stop them, insisting on challenging the elite troops of Di State. Nearly three thousand against only two hundred, they were soundly defeated.

This incident proves that Wang Sheng's previous strategy of picking on easy targets was a wise and measured choice.

While so many were dizzy with victory, Wang Sheng alone remained neither arrogant nor impatient, always sticking to his strategy. By comparison, Wang's true caliber becomes evident. His name truly suits him."

Tang Zhen: "It is said that a group of those who had retreated in defeat regretted it bitterly, kneeling outside Wang Sheng's cave and wailing for a long time, but Wang Sheng never showed his face from beginning to end. I suppose he must have been deeply hurt by that bunch, sigh."

Wan Daoyuan: "This defeat also highlights an issue, our current strategy is working, we've pushed them into a corner."

Li Shanshan: "Exactly, they can't find any significant gains right now. Seeing that we're about to overtake them, they had no choice but to take a dangerous gamble."

Wan Daoyuan: "I shouldn't say this, but in a way, their defeat is a good thing for us. It can make them face reality, the reality of losing to us. It also helps us avoid setting our sights too high, as the daily harvest of the Insect Extreme Crystal can't be raised further without arousing their suspicion due to excessive numbers."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded slightly in agreement.

Wan Daoyuan continued, "The day after tomorrow we'll be leaving the battlefield. We can still push hard tomorrow, hoping for some extraordinary gains on the last day. If nothing unexpected happens, I think the harvest tomorrow should not be too great, just enough to beat them by a little."

Guann Yingjie: "What do you mean by that?"

Wan Daoyuan: "Doing so will leave them feeling unsatisfied, facilitating our ability to provoke changes to the competition rules. If we surpass them by too much and they concede defeat, accepting the on-site tally, wouldn't we be exposed? The numbers should not be too great. Tomorrow night we must stoke the dissenting atmosphere between the two factions. With our undercover agents on their side inciting trouble, I anticipate no surprises. What I'm afraid of now is..."

At this point, he glanced at Mulan Qingqing subconsciously.

Mulan Qingqing's eyebrows twitched slightly, "Speak your mind."

Wan Daoyuan sighed and said with a wry smile, "Ordinarily there should be nothing to fear, yet now I'm somewhat afraid of Wang Sheng. The capabilities he has shown are too formidable, not that of a common man. I worry that something unpredictable might happen involving him."

What good does worrying do? Not to mention him, Mulan Qingqing also had the same concerns, keeping silent but unsettled. Since the open and secret conflicts began between them, her side had never won, always on the defensive. Coupled with the powerful abilities Wang Sheng and his mob had shown, it would be impossible not to feel apprehensive. Will this venture go smoothly?

She too was nervous, she too yearned to bring the first prize back to Su Yuan Sect!

Her anxiety, however, would not show, as she still said coolly, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Everyone nodded their understanding. At this point, that's all they could do, and they couldn't abandon their plans just because they were worried.

As Wan Daoyuan and others got up to leave, Mulan Qingqing added, "If you spot anyone from Di State, notify me immediately, leave no survivors!"

"Sure." The people responded.

After one night, the skies gradually lightened, ushering in a new day as the elite forces of Xuan State once again set out in full strength.

In contrast to the high morale of the elite troops, Wang Sheng's forces sank into despondency.

Wang Sheng's scouts couldn't find any suitable targets to attack, and his troops seemed to have lost the will to fight.

They endured, they waited, and the day gradually faded into night.

That was a relief—at least in the face of the night, everyone had new expectations. The conference would end tomorrow, and they could leave this place.

Hobbling along, Master Mai found Shi Chun and reported grimly, "Master, the other side's haul has been announced. Today, the last day, they didn't achieve much either, only garnering about two thousand, which means they have only exceeded us by about five thousand in total."

Shi Chun remained silent.

Master Mai asked, "Master, just five thousand. Is there any way we can cover that gap?"

Shi Chun countered, "Is five thousand a small number? I too would like to cover the gap, but where can we find a way to do so? Mulan Qingqing, in such a short time, managed to get so much. It truly exceeded my expectations. Now, whether it's manpower or morale, we're too late. Our scouts who have been tirelessly searching outside have yet to return."

"Sigh." With a heavy sigh, Master Mai could only leave helplessly.

Just five thousand. A mere five thousand gap. Outside, there were cries of anger and roars, filled with endless dissatisfaction.

After paying such a high price, and achieving so much, they were defeated by a gap of five thousand. If only they had gathered for one more day when times were good.

As Shi Chun waited in silence, they took out a parent-child talisman. It was a message from Mulan Qingqing informing them of the rallying point for the troops. They were to gather tonight and leave the conference grounds by tomorrow.

Shi Chun showed the content of the parent-child talisman to Wu Jinliang, "Notify them to set off."

"Mhm." Wu Jinliang returned the talisman and strode away.

Seeing Chu Jingtang looking eagerly at him, Shi Chun gave a solemn instruction, "The showdown is upon us. Keep a close watch on those pouches of yours; do not allow any outsider to touch them."

"Don't worry, if the person is here, so is the stone." Chu Jingtang patted his chest in assurance and quickly walked away.

Outside, there were sounds of troops assembling, a loud clanking noise.

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